Oxjam Blog

Oxjam Leeds Launch The Oxjam Busk 2018

For years Oxjam has taken place in the sticky, darkened interiors of your favourite local music venue, as each October, dozens of multi-venue festivals take place, bringing the absolute best of local musical talent together. This October will be no different of course, only this year we’re taking Oxjam outside and on to the streets.

That’s because this year sees the first ever nationwide Oxjam Busk.

For the entire month of August hundreds of musicians and music lovers will be pitching up on their high street to busk against poverty, taking their musical expertise outside to raise even more £££s for Oxjam, and make 2018 our biggest year yet. To celebrate, our Oxjam Festival Team in Leeds organised 6 hours of busking in Leeds City Centre as a special launch event to kick things off.

“We love the local Leeds music scene and busking is a big part of that, so we just wanted to join in and get out on the streets” explained Festival Manager Joe. “We had a selection of local West Yorkshire based musicians bringing their unique artistry and sound to the streets of Leeds. From singer/songwriters to duos and 4 piece bands. From Americana to Avant-Garde Grunge. This busk had something for everybody!”

Street performers and buskers contribute to both the culture and economy of their local town, and in recognition and celebration of this, a series of events took place in London for International Busking Day last month, featuring none other than Chic guitar legend Nile Rogers.

Following on from the Leeds Busk, Joe tells us that plans are also in full swing for the full Oxjam Leeds Festival in October: “We’re going to kick the day off early with music from midday and you can expect the party to keep going until the early hours of Sunday morning! With amazing artists and bands from around West Yorkshire spread across six stages in five of the city’s finest venues, you’re going to be spoilt for choice.”

Check out Leeds’ social media pages @oxjamleeds2018 for all the latest details, the hottest content, and amazing competitions. Or, sign up to busk for Oxjam below!